Organizing Product/Cost information.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Kirkwood on November 18, 2009 at 9:41am

I got Filemaker Pro and there is A LOT of set up to get started. I am not sure you want to go that route. I use the templates in it for organizing contacts. The grand plan of me setting up my own forms went out the window.

Don't feel bad...I also use a lot of pieces to organize pricing/product/costing etc. I think most of use do.
I don't think there is a way around it because each serves a different purpose.

For quick cost comparisons with products and elements listed side by side or in rows- excel is great. You can change prices, quantities, etc. out quickly. You can't do that when it is a software accounting program or even a program you would create yourself on Filemaker Pro. At least, not just starting out on that program.

I use MYOB for my accounting. It handles my invoicing, inventory control, builds products etc. But this is once all elements have been established. You don't do any experimenting in the program-it is not built for that.

You might check out this site: http://www.soapmaker.ca/

It is specific to cosmetics recipes and also has accounting capabilities. It is supposed to run on macs with a crossover platform such as bootcamp..but I don't know if it will run on Intel chip macs. I also use a Mac- so, I don't like to use a crossover platform.

I have some other calcs listed on my biz site: http://www.beautyandyourbiz.com/tools/online-calculators/
i am in the midst of adding more. These are not recommendations, just listings.

Not much you can do about retyping ingredients for labels..drudgery, I know.

Hope some of this helps.

Jennifer

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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Segal on November 18, 2009 at 6:50pm

Jennifer, Thank you for your feedback. I will check out the links you sent.

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Permalink Reply by dM, CEO on August 27, 2011 at 1:37pm

Great list at your site, Jennifer.

Here's one you might wish to add: http://www.soapmaker.ca/ProDescription.php

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Permalink Reply by Bill OSuch on November 19, 2009 at 6:13pm

I would use excel for vendor comparisons, etc. but you definitely need either MYOB or Quickbooks Manufacturing to track things once you decide on production. That way you get the inventory controls, cost of goods, etc. calculated correctly.

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Esteves on November 19, 2009 at 7:34pm

I use the Soapmaker program that Jennifer mentions above. I have an Intel-based iMac and run it with Windows using BootCamp. I love it. It takes a little setting up in the beginning, of course, because you have to enter in all of your supply and product inventory. But then you can store recipes, calculate your price (per product, per sample, per recipe batch), calculate the true cost of supplies with shipping included, keep track of your supply and product inventory... lot of stuff. I'm very happy with it.

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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Segal on November 22, 2009 at 11:49am

My mac is 4 years old. I am thinking of getting a new one, but it looks like I can't use soakmaker as of now. It looks like a great program.

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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Segal on January 12, 2010 at 3:44pm

I have been exploring filemaker pro, Trying to work my already made work sheets in excel. ( I think excel came integrate spread sheets. I just can't seem to figure it out).
It seems it would be easier to use soapmaker.ca, but I can't seem to wrap myself around the boot camp idea. That would be the only program I would use on windows. I use indesign on my mac for labels & everything else. How do yo go back & forth. It sounds like a pain. I know there is VM Ware & Parallels.
I feel I am spending way to much time on this. I will also look at Quick book & MYOB again.


Do you do all your business stuff on the windows side? or do you go back & Forth?

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Permalink Reply by IBN Member Samantha Moore - samantharoma.com on November 20, 2009 at 10:12am

I use Quickbboks Pro - the manufacturing edition. It's a lot of set up but I like it. It tracks recipes, ingredient cost, product cost, inventory. You can run reports on pretty much anything: sales, profit, inventory etc. And it provides all the info your acct will need to file taxes. You need a basic understanding of accounting principles if you are going to enter it all yourself. Please email me if you have any questions - or post here as others may be interested!
-Samantha
www.samantharoma.com

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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Segal on November 22, 2009 at 11:52am

I am interested in having the formulations part of the DB. Does Quickbooks Pro have that capacity?

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Kirkwood on November 28, 2009 at 12:30pm

QB pro for manufacturing does not have a Mac edition-at least the last I checked. That's why I went with MYOB.
Both have a Build Items area where you can "formulate" or enter the amount for each item that will track thru to your inventory. It is very tedious. If you play with your formulations a lot- editing can be a pain.
I am not sure there is one answer for all variations that you would like to use a program for...bummer- I know. They each have strength and weaknesses.
I would place your needs in order of priority and then start looking at programs. You may find what you thought was important is really easier to just do in excel or one of the independent programs mentioned in these posts. The good news is, most of them are inexpensive.
When you start getting into MYOB and QB's- it is a few hundred dollars and a lot steeper set up and learning curve.
Good luck- I hope you let us know what you decide.

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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Segal on January 3, 2010 at 10:16pm

I got my new IMAC. I will check ouy MYOB & YUM. FileMaker & Bento both have trials. Soapmaker still sound real good. I will keep every one posted.

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Permalink Reply by Eleanor Segal on January 12, 2010 at 3:56pm

Maybe you are correct.

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